The Magic of Shannara
by Forest Elfin
Summary: 40 years before VOJS, Walker finds himself pitted against an old foe with a new ally - his daughter.
1. Meeting the Dead

A meeting with the dead  
  
Walker Boh rose from his campsites in the early hours of the morning. Karne Lissan was awake, but not so as other men might awaken. He did not sit slowly and yawn groggily or stretch his limbs. The moment his eyes opened he was alert to anything and everything in the vicinity. He continued to amaze Walker even after these many years of friendship. Every movement he made, reflected that of a born predator, ready to do whatever the times required at any given moment.  
  
Of course, his ancestor's extraordinary magic, the one they called Mareth helped with these instincts, but just where the magic began and Karne began was a puzzle still. Walker left then and felt Karne's gaze upon him as he climbed the slopes. It was not a gaze of hatred, as most men would think. But, then again Walker was not most men. He knew it was a gaze of concern. Walker knew that his behaviour had not exactly been rational or controlled these past few weeks, although given the circumstances he considered it allowable but not acceptable; this was part of the reason he continued climbing the slope.  
  
As he reached the rim of the valley, he paused shortly to compose his thoughts. A single mistake could quite possibly cost him his life or perhaps worse, his soul. He resumed his walk and progressed down to the Hadeshorn's edge. He raised his arms to the lake and began to speak to secret passages to release the dead, known only to druids. Screams erupted from the centre of the lake as a column of steam rose containing thousands of spirits. The spirits moaned as they regained a momentary feeling of the world to which they had lost. A huge dark shadow appeared and made it's way slowly and deliberately towards Walker. It stopped a few feet from the edge and bent it's head towards him.  
  
-Speak my name, Walker Boh, last of the druids- "Allanon" -What would you wish of me this night, druid?- " The sword of Shannara has been stolen from Paranor, I wish to retrieve it. I know not who stole it, their reasons or future intentions." - You know the one who stole it and yet you have never met them - "I don't understand."  
  
- This one has the talisman you seek for, but they will not give it up easily. There are others who will affect the outcome of this quest, Walker Boh. You cannot and must not do this alone. You must surround yourself with the last of those who still possess the faerie magic, Walker. They are your talismans.- "But where is this enemy I search for? - You know of whom I speak. I can see what you are thinking, Walker Boh. How could anyone possibly enter Paranor, steal the sword and leave without me knowing? The answer lies in an obvious place. The magic is attuned to those of your blood and magic, sowhy is not obvious for someone to carry your magic in their veins to be the culprit and the victim? Do not judge them harshly when you find them, Walker Boh. They know not their potential or actions.-  
  
"Wait! Allanon!" The spirit turned and proceeded back into the mist of the Hadeshorn. The lesser spirits tried to claw their way free of the inner pull of the lake, but eventually the lake grew silent once more. Walker Boh collapsed on the shoreline, devastated by what he had heard and even more so by what he hadn't.  
  
As Walker awakened once more that day, he found himself back in the campsite with a worried Karne looking over him. "Are you alright?" He asked tentatively, as if the druid might bite. "Fine, thank you." "Where are we going?"  
  
Karne had an uncanny ability to pick up strong waves of thought at the most awkward of times. He had already sensed Walker's anticipation to be gone from this place and saddled the horses. It unnerved Walker at times, as he often wondered what other thoughts he picked up from Walker, but out of fear or courtesy declined to mention. "Arborlon, Karne. It is crucial that I speak to someone that I knew a long time ago." 


	2. The Sword goes South

The sword goes south  
  
When Hanna saw the hunting lodge of Leah in the distant twilight, she did a little dance of joy. She broke into a run through the trees, gasping for breath as she did. Her feet jumped and skipped through trip holes and roots with a practised ease. Her pounded in her chest at the thought of seeing her beloved again after being apart. She flew up the porch steps and almost broke down the door as she charged her way in. She tripped over a rug and fell straight into Matthew.  
  
"Matthew, oh Matthew. It is good to see you again." "Yes it is, my love. If you want it, stew's on the table." Hanna leaped from the floor in one fluid motion that surprised even Matthew and bolted towards the table. "Did you get it? The sword, I mean." "Yes, it's here across my shoulder." "And was it as easy as I said was. Did it make your heart pound and blood run hot as you crept right under the druid's very nose and pulled out his treasure?" "Yes and more. If the druids really were protectors of the people, they would be out there doing just that; protecting the four lands. Instead, I walk in casually to see not a soul about and steal one of their most precious talismans. They really are a lot of foolish old men, just like you said."  
  
Over a large dinner, Hanna relayed the details of her expedition to Matthew and watched as his face smiled and danced as he looked at her. She had crept from their last home in Tyrsis into Paranor and stolen the Sword of Shannara from the druids! Matthew praised on her initiative and said that she'd come on a lot since last fall when they'd first set out together from her home in Shady Vale. She seldom thought of Shady Vale as home anymore; it felt more like another one of their inns or campsites they'd visited on their travels, just another place to be forgotten and left behind. Matthew was her mentor, teacher, friend and lover. He was her everything. She remembered the first time they met in the vale when stumbled into it after being set upon by angry wolves. She had nursed him back to health and fallen in love with him. It wasn't until much later that she learned that the true cause of his injuries was a druid named Walker, who relentlessly stalked him after Matthew rejected his offer to become a druid. Matthew had often said that one-day, Walker would come after her for her magic, just as he had for his. He was determined to prepare her for that day and to stand by her side.  
  
"So, where next then?" She asked him, as she was always enthusiastic about their travelling. "I was thinking of going into the deep Southland, Wayford direction perhaps." "Great, I've never been below the Duln. When do we go?" "Goodness, you are anxious my love. Tomorrow twilight will do fine I think. But since this will be our last night here for a while, come lie down with me and get some rest." 


	3. A Difficult Meeting

A difficult meeting  
  
After clearing the mountains above Paranor late that afternoon, Walker and Karne rode swiftly into the Valley of the Rhenn. They arrived on the outskirts of Arborlon around midnight and made a sparse campsite. They slept for a few brief hours, only to continue riding before dawn. Walker had imposed the importance of this meeting to Karne, but Karne could see the inner conflict in his eyes and feel his pain in the words of the shade. Walker had told him nothing of his meeting, but Karne's powers were steadily growing and when Walker had a particularly intent thought, it came across to Karne as clear as day.  
  
They rode into Arborlon at dawn and stabled the horses near the outer wall. Walker guided Karne towards a small cluster of houses surrounded by a thicket of elm and motioned for him to wait for his return. Karne crouched down into the brush and waited patiently. He could have easily gone farther into the city and browsed around the market, but the thought of all those people cramped together and buildings enclosed all about him seemed daunting indeed. Walker had pushed his luck far enough by getting him to accompany him inside the city.  
  
Walker reached his chosen destination mere minutes later. The route to this particular home was eternally etched into his mind and his memories of this place were reluctant to leave the forefront of his mind, no matter how many hours of meditation he performed. He gave a tentative knock on the cottage door, suddenly excited and nervous simultaneously. The door opened to reveal a slight dark woman with small exquisite features. Her radiant face changed dramatically as she saw the black shadowy staring back. She quickly beckoned him into a back room. She stood as far away from him as she could in the room without walking into the next.  
  
"I thought we agreed never to see each other again." "And I would have kept to that agreement had you not omitted certain facts about our relationship." "I don't understand. Listen, druid I didn't invite you in here to listen to your riddles. Spit it out, damn you." "I was told by the shade of Allanon that one of my blood stole from me a very important talisman. Since my parents are three hundred years dead and I have no siblings, who does that leave?" The slight elvish woman began to blush along her cheekbones and she seemed to shrink in size against the wall. The two stared at each for a long time, as if they were brawlers sizing each other up before a fight. "Tell me the truth." Walker said with a remarkable calmness. "About half a year after you left . . . I had a daughter." "Why didn't you tell me about this!" He snapped and she winced painfully. His sudden anger was worse than a slap across her face. "I didn't know what you'd say . . . I was scared. You are a druid, Walker; you frighten everyone with your unpredictable moods and black anger." "I thought you understood me better than that Sheila, but obviously I was wrong. Does she live here still?" "About a year after she was born I sent her to live with her cousins in the Vale. She looked so much like you that it pained me to look upon her." Sheila thought that she saw for just an instant, a softening in the druid's eyes; but none the less it disappeared as soon as it had come.  
  
"Have you seen her since?" "No. I thought it best that she believe her foster parents were her real parents." "Dammit Sheila, that was the better part of fifteen years ago. She could be anywhere by now." "But she was always more yours than mine, Walker. In all the letters I had, she acted like you. She had your spirit, your looks, and your attitudes . . . She also had your magic." " What magic does she have?" Walker leaned forward, studying Sheila's response intently. "She has use of the wishsong although I'm unsure how developed it is. From what I've been told it seems to echo Brin's magic more than Jair's. She also seemed to have the magic you have; the affinity to animals, picking up of thoughts and the rest. Although I don't think she's fully aware of everything you have." "This is a grave situation indeed. I must go to her at once. I pray that your delay in this matter has not caused our daughter to be consumed by her magic." "Walker, please forgive me. I tried to do what was best for Hanna. What kind of life could she have led growing up with you in Paranor?" "I will not discuss this matter with you Sheila, for my anger to active for me to think clearly. I'm afraid it may me a long time to find forgiveness for you, when I cannot even forgive myself for my incompetence. Her name?" "Hanna Ohmsford." Sheila choked out the words and began to weep. "Goodbye, Sheila. I do not anticipate to break our agreement again after this."  
  
Tears brimmed in his eyes as he left that cottage and he melted into the midday heat, desperate to escape the complicated world around him. He picked out Karne's silhouette against the burning sun and beckoned him to follow immediately. He wanted to escape this city and it's memories in the hope that he could find some solitude and peace, where he could sort through this new information and add it to the shade's words. They collected their horses and galloped out of the Rhenn. They camped in a clove of birch on the outskirts of the Rhenn and Walker sat looking vacantly onto the plains. Karne stared at him, his large green eyes reading his expressions and movements like a book. He felt a strange irritation in his eyes and realised he was crying. 


	4. Confrontation of the Ohmsfords

Confrontation of the Ohmsfords  
  
  
  
It was not until the following night that Walker rose from his seat in the grass. He had not moved at all and his eyes were centred straight ahead the whole time. Karne could only presume he was in some kind of trance, fighting some emotions and embracing others. They ate a sparse meal and rode through the night across the plains. Walker was so wound up with a mixture of worry and fear, that Karne became concerned about Walker's state of mind. He knew that he'd recently found out something that would change his life forever, he'd been kept in the dark for a long time. They rode continuously all night and day, resting only briefly for the horses, until they reached the Rapahalladren the next day. Walker was mentally and physically exhausted and when he tried to continue on, Karne grabbed him by the shoulders.  
  
"You can't carry on like this, Walker. It will kill you." "I don't care. Move away from me, Karne. I have to get to her." "You haven't seen her for a very long time, Walker. A week will not matter in the scheme of things. Who will save her if you die this day from exhaustion?" Walker lifted his head to look into Karne's eyes, but he found only a deep concern for his friend. He slowly collapsed to the floor and when Karne handed him stew and a water skin, he didn't refuse. However, they set out for the vale at dawn.  
  
Karne and Walker reached the rim of the Vale just after twilight that evening. They rode down the worn paths to the bottom and made towards the central area and the Ohmsford Inn. They handed their mounts to a waiting groom, even though Karne eyed him suspiciously as they walked past. Upon entering the inn, Karne shrank inside himself despite Walker's reassurances that this was a friendly hamlet and no harm would come to him.  
  
Karne wavered in spite of Walker, as the inn was filled with men drinking a variety of ales and whiskies. He disliked large groups of people and large drunken groups of people less. He followed Walker hesitantly, keeping his back largely towards the walls. Walker, knowing that Karne would never confine himself alone to a small back room asked the inn keep for a single room only. They collected some dinner and ale and then were shown to their room by the keep's son. Walker lay down to sleep on the mattress and watched while Karne eyed the room apprehensively, settling into a niche as close to the small window as he could comfortably get.  
  
As the first rays of sunlight shone through the window in the tavern, Karne was instantly awake. He nudged Walker who rose silently from the mattress. Karne followed Walker down to the main room, where the inn keep was cleaning spilt ale from the floor. "I have come here to see Hanna. Is she here?" The inn keep looked up guardedly and eyed each of the companions carefully. "Is she here?" Walker repeated, bringing a deep tone to his voice. The inn keep continued to stare at Walker, eying him up and trying to judge his intentions. "Do you wish her harm druid, for I know what your kind are?" "Only to speak to her regarding my recent meeting with an old friend in Arborlon." The inn keep's head jerked up at the mention of Arborlon. "She eloped about a month ago with a tracker by the name of Matthew Ward. Nice fellow, a little on the eccentric side, but decent enough." "Did they say where they were going?" Walker asked anxiously. "They said they were going to see a bit of the borderlands. Said they were going to see Honer first though; she's quite attached to him you know and she wanted to say goodbye.  
  
A flash of hope crossed Walker's face and with a brisk farewell, Walker and Karne began the next leg of their search for Hanna. 


	5. Intents uncovered

Intents uncovered  
  
Walker and Karne rode up to the rim of the valley and into the Duln that morning and soon came across the Rapahalladren. They constructed a small raft of wood and stacked their clothes and gear on top. They led the horses through as best they could, although the men clung to their strong bodies as they swam easily across. They quickly dried and remounted, determined to reach the edge of the Duln before nightfall. Towards sunset, the companions reached the edge of the farmed land of Leah and settled down for the night. They woke at dawn and continued on at Walker's insistence, through the farmland until they reached the Leah home. The Leah home was a traditional two-story house, containing multiple eaves, long rooflines and deep alcoves. They tied their horses to a post near the entrance and entered in. An old stone fireplace burned unchecked in the centre with a brooding Honer Leah sat in front of it. Walker and Karne slipped silently behind Honer, until Walker laid a foreboding hand on his shoulder causing him to jump considerably. "This is a matter of grave importance I come here to discuss Honer Leah. It is imperative that I have your full co-operation." "Yes . . . of course. You didn't have to jump out on me though did you?" "Our entrance is of no importance, Prince of Leah. Is there somewhere we can discuss these matters more privately?" "Of course . . . follow me." Honer led Walker and Karne into his father's small study and gestured to several chairs. Walker followed suit and sat but Karne looked increasingly uncomfortable and stood nervously near the window. "Is he alright?" Honer asked nervously, for he feared the druid's wrath. "Just a bit claustrophobic, that's all. Now, the reason for my visit. When was the last time you saw Hanna Ohmsford?" "About a fortnight ago. She came to me with a tracker and said they were leaving the vale to be together. She wanted to know if she could stay in the hunting lodge for a while and I agreed." Walker looked deep in thought for a moment, then straightened and stared out of the window in frustration. "What did you think of this tracker?" Honer squinted his eyes slightly, desperately trying to remember some small detail about Hanna's lover. He smiled suddenly. "His name was Matthew." "You remember nothing else? His appearance, your impressions of him, accents?" "No." Walker gave Karne a knowing glance, then turned back to Honer Leah. "It looks like our mutual friend here has command of a form of magic." "What?" Honer said, a mixture of fear and hatred glowing from his eyes. "Look at me, Prince of Leah." Walker stared into Honer's eyes and let small tendrils of magic penetrate the surface of his mind. Sure enough, magic had been placed around a memory, judging by it's size, about an hour long. Walker released the magic from the memory and it sprung up, like a newly freed animal. He withdrew from Honer's mind and let the young prince of Leah play out the memory in his mind. "This may take some time Karne." Walker said looking at Karne's worsening state of mind within the small back room. "If you wish to leave, maybe you could find the tracks up to the hunting lodge?" Glad to be released, with a swift running jump, Karne launched himself out of the tiny window that he barely fitted through and landed with a roll on the grass, already running. "Through the door, Karne . . . " Walker tried to say but Karne had already flew out the window. Karne's perfect agility had always amazed Walker, right from the time he'd first met him some ten years ago. Honer's head bobbed up and there were tears in his eyes. "Do you remember, Prince of Leah?" "Everything. That scum bag tracker . . ." "Yes, Honer I understand. What did he look like?" At the mention of his first name, Honer turned abruptly towards the Druid. Although Walker knew that the tracker's appearance had next to no importance, it was vital to take small steps first. "Tall, dark hair, dark eyes. Green travel cloak, hunting bow and long knife." "How does he speak?" "The way he speaks to me makes me feel like a child." "Where is Hanna? What is she doing?" "Hanna seems distant and somehow removed from the situation. Occasionally she looks my way, but it's as if she doesn't know me or just doesn't remember. I don't understand it and I try to talk to her, but the tracker cuts me off quickly. He doesn't want me speaking to her." "What does he do then?" "He asks me where the hunting lodge is and I tell him it's a couple of miles north in the highlands. He thanks me then says that since I won't remember, it'll be alright to have a little fun. He looks deep into my eyes and it's like a thousand hot knives sear through my skin into my mind. Hanna cocks her head in thought as if she's searching for something. After another minute or two I think I black out." "You have done well, Prince of Leah, but do not be quick to judge Hanna for her actions. I fear she is not completely in control of them." "You mean the tracker's controlling her? Oh, that is terrible indeed. I'll take you up to the lodge at dawn." "No, Prince of Leah, now." Karne had already been up to the lodge and was waiting in the shadows about halfway there. Walker may not be able to see him in the dark like Karne could see Walker, but he would feel his presence and know he was close by. He heard two sets of footsteps coming closer from Leah, one heavy and regular, the other lighter and quicker. The first was Walker and Karne expected the second to be Honer Leah. Just when they were about to pass him, Karne stepped out beside Honer and for the second time that night, the young prince jumped out of his skin. Walker glanced up in mild amusement. When they reached the lodge, Walker and Karne let Honer go charging about the place indoors while Karne conveyed his findings. "I would say that the tracker has been here for the whole fortnight, there are regular track ways to and from the springs and woodpiles. The girl I would say left after about four days and returned just three days ago. I followed her tracks up to the edge of the Highlands, but I think she cloaked her trail with magic when she was in the open. She was coming from the direction of Tyrsis." Walker knew what Karne was hinting at, Hanna had returned here from Paranor with the sword. Karne just had enough tact not to rub the bitterness into Walker's face. "When did they leave the lodge?" "The day before yesterday, heading south at a fast pace." "I need to ask to a favour, Karne. I want you to follow my daughter and protect her as best you can. Travel at a safe distance from them though, I don't know how powerful this so called tracker is. I will follow with Honer after I've made a short visit to Culhaven." "I will do so not for a favour, Walker Boh, I will do so because you are my friend. I will do so because I owe you a great deal and have yet to repay you for your kindness. I will follow your daughter. Goodbye, Walker Ohmsford, last of the Druids." As Karne slipped into the shadows, Honer appeared from behind an eave with a look of bewilderment on his face. 


	6. A Close Encounter

A close encounter  
  
Matthew and Hanna had been riding across the plains for almost two days when the paths began to slope upwards into the Prekkendorran Heights.  
  
"These tracks are no place for horses, Hanna. We'd better leave them here tomorrow. I doubt they'll reach Dechtera."  
  
"That's alright. We'll be fine without them."  
  
They camped that night under the protection of a rather large boulder propped against a small knoll. The boulder sheltered them from the winds, but with the increasingly cold nights, they huddled close together in their blankets. They built up their fire as much as they could without it becoming uncontrollable until it became a small beacon of hope on the edge of the wilderness.  
  
Karne Lissan, also saw the campfire as a beacon of hope. He'd been travelling smoothly for most of the day and into this night. He estimated he was about seven hours behind them, since he'd caught them up on many hours just from the way he knew the land. They were obviously strangers to this part of the four lands, cutting straight through once or twice but never really knowing it. Then again, very few people knew the land like Karne did. He replenished his strength with various roots, berries and small animals he'd caught, stopping often to refill his small water skin.  
  
He would rest for a few hours now, then continue in the black of night. He had no fear of tripping or such, because he could see perfectly well. Walker had told him before that Karne's magic was descended from Skull Bearers and that he should be cautious in it's use. Karne didn't really use his magic, he preferred to use his born instincts and his innate knowledge of the world. He was certain he could catch the druid's daughter sometime tomorrow, since he doubted they knew the mountain passes well. What he would do then was irrelevant; he would catch them first then decide what to do. Walker had often warned him of his way of thinking, that it would cause him someday. Karne shook himself of these thoughts and settled down to sleep; he would have a hard day ahead of him tomorrow.  
  
Hanna and Matthew rose with the dawn in a collectively good mood. They set their horses loose from their tethers and watched them wander back down the slopes to the plains. They gathered up their meagre amount of gear, stamped out the last part of their fire and started up the track into the mountain pass. They walked until noon, climbing the steep slope and at some points crawling. They stopped under a low crag to sit in the shade while they waited out the hottest part of the day. Travel was treacherous in the midday heat. Although, it was contrasting to the cold nights that were the telltale signs of autumn's coming. They rested there while they ate a ration of cold meats then set off again as the sun began to cool in the late afternoon. Matthew hoped they would reach the summit of the pass this evening, where travel following that could proceed faster because they would be in shadow most of the day due to the high rock formations on the other side. The sun began to disappear behind the clouds and the air turned colder. Matthew stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
"Did you hear that?" He spun around to look behind them, but could see nothing but rocks and a sparse covering of hardy trees.  
  
"It was probably just an animal, Matt."  
  
She took his hand and led him farther up the trail. They continued on for several minutes until they both heard a shuffle of pebbles behind them. They spun simultaneously around and searched the shadows for movement. Neither person could see details in the failing twilight and cold sweat began to appear on their hands and faces. A second shuffle sounded, much closer this time on their left. Hanna jumped at the sound and never saw the strong bolt of magic coming. A green dart of fire flew straight towards her and probably would have hit her had it not been for a second shadow leaping out the rocks to push her from it's path.  
  
This new shadow picked her up in it's arms and began running away at an incredible speed away from the attacker. The shadow kept running for a long time and since Hanna had been knocked unconscious, she didn't complain at begin separated from Matthew. When finally it stopped, satisfied at the distance between it and any form of threat it placed the girl down on a tree stump. It sat in front of her in a low crouch, alert to even the slightest sound. As the last rays of light crossed over his face, Karne Lissan waited motionless for her to wake. 


	7. CHAPTER SEVEN : NEWFOUND PROTECTOR

.7. A newfound protector.  
  
It was not until dawn the following day that Hanna Ohmsford woke up to find herself three feet away from the strangest man she had ever seen. He crouched as an animal would but completely motionless. He wore pants and a sleeveless shirt but they were torn and dirtied. His large, green eyes flickered continually across the clearing. She stretched groggily from her uncomfortable night's sleep and sat cross-legged on the top of the stump. She was confident of her ability to overcome this strange man with use of her magic, but she was curious as to why he had saved her and what exactly he was.  
  
"Why did you save me?"  
  
"I was asked by my friend to make sure that no harm came to you. I admire him very much and so I agreed."  
  
"Who is this friend?"  
  
"Your father."  
  
Hanna's astonishment must have shown in her expression as she almost thought she saw a slight amusement creep into his face. She had known from an early age that she had been adopted into the Ohmsford household. She had been told that her mother was elven and her name was Sheila. She had never heard a single word about her real father.  
  
"Who is my father?"  
  
"I do not think that he would want me to reveal his identity at this time. I think it would be better coming from him."  
  
Hanna scowled in anger at him and as her as anger rose the wishsong rose in her throat.  
  
"I would not do that if I were you. The creature that tracks you, will find you all the sooner."  
  
Hanna was again astonished that this stranger could sense the wishsong rising in her, yet it died as she felt a new dimension to him, a deep kind of power but unlike her own, it sat calmly within him. Her magic bubbled up in small spurts and tended to come and go exactly as it pleased. A small shard of fear wedged itself into her mind as she began to doubt that she could out do this creature if it came to combat.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Karne." Hanna was less than pleased with his minimal answer but tried to keep her emotions from her face.  
  
"Who is the enemy that tracks me?"  
  
"I don't know. He has great power, but I think that your father would know him."  
  
At a second mention of her father, Hanna scowled again. Karne could indeed see the relation in her and her father's black moods. Karne lifted his head and cocked his head in thought; Hanna watched with a mixture of curiosity and hatred.  
  
"We must go from this place, he is coming."  
  
"No, I'm not leaving. I have to go back and find Matthew."  
  
"That would be very unwise. I did not rescue you from death's clutches only to have you march right back in."  
  
"I have to find him and I'm not leaving until I do." She crossed her arms stubbornly across her chest.  
  
"He is just past the summit of the pass. We will be going towards him when we leave. But Hanna Ohmsford, we must leave now if we are to escape confrontation."  
  
She winced at his remark. Either he had just come to the obvious conclusion that Matthew would carry on towards their goal, hoping to find her a long the way, or he had magic so powerful that he could sense his presence.  
  
Karne led Hanna through a twisting track around the side of the main peak. Hanna knew that without him, she would have no hope of ever finding her way through the maze of rocks and gullies. He knew every time if a particular rock wouldn't hold his weight and despite the countless times she tripped and fell, and all the times he looked back to check she was alright, he never fumbled once.  
  
*** At first Karne's presence infuriated Hanna, feeding her hatred but as the morning wore on and she saw the genuine concern on his face when she fell, she began to grudgingly admire him. He was amazing at what he did and she began to realise just why her father might have recruited him as a friend. Her father's anonymity stuck like a splinter in her mind, plaguing her with guesses and possible clues. But as always, each clue she thought of could easily be a red herring or something she was putting too much value to.  
  
They reached the far side of the mountain at mid-afternoon and sat down to rest. She realised that while Matthew would have gone over the summit of the mountain, they had skirted around the side about half way to meet the main trail on the far side. It had saved them a great deal of time despite the difficulties Hanna had found in traversing the trail. Karne told her that Matthew would be down in a couple of hours and that she may as well rest while she had the chance. At first, she was sceptical as to letting her guard down, but when she realised how exhausted she was, she fell asleep quickly.  
  
Karne sat and watched the druid's daughter for a long time. Sheila had been right, she was her father's daughter. The long dark hair framed and contrasted her small and pale face. Her skin wasn't as pale as Walker's but he didn't think anyone could match Walker's skin colour and also he expected that her constant outdoor activities had darkened her skin slightly. Her mood swings matched those of her father's and sometimes so much so, that Karne almost laughed. This tracker friend would indeed be here in a few hours, but Karne intended to be gone before he arrived.  
  
Karne had thought to try to separate the two, but decided that since he needed Hanna's trust, it would be pointless to try to deceive her, especially with the amount of magic she had within her. It raged inside her like a caged animal and appeared exactly when it wanted to. She needed Walker Boh and soon, or Karne feared she would be consumed by it. Karne only hoped that Walker would hurry in doing whatever he was doing and get here quickly.  
  
As he heard the first footsteps of the tracker's approach, he rose and slipped into the twilight. He would wait until they were some five or so minutes ahead of him then follow silently. He was not clumsy like the demon that tracked them and he doubted greatly that the tracker or druid's daughter would notice his presence. But although he had stealth on his side he would have to watch his front and back and be quick to come to their aid if need be. Despite this, his worse fear was that they would head to the city of Dechtera and Karne would have to follow them in there. There would be thousands of people, Karne expected and they would all be crammed into a small space like sardines. Karne was wild at heart and only felt secure in the mountains and forests. He was trying to adapt to hamlets, as being a companion to Walker Boh often demanded. Never the less, he was going to hate every moment of being in that city, and hoped they didn't dawdle. 


End file.
